The Bossier banner., 1887-08-04
want to see what that fellow is going on
to do, he has begun so well.''

10 uU, uo udS UcSuu 81 Woll.
Something occurs to me quite personal
! was the youngest of a large family of
children. My parents were neither rich
nor poor; four of the sons wanted col
legiate education, and four obtained
it, but not without great home-strug-
gle. We never heard the old peo-
PIE say once that they were denying
themselves to eff ect this, but remember
now that my parents always looked tired.
don't think they ever got rested until
they lay down in the Somerville ceme-
terry. Mother would sit down in the even
ing and say:
"Well, don't know what makes ms
feel so tired.'
Father would fall Immediately to sleep,
seated by the evening stand, overcome
with the days fatigues. One of the four
brothers, after preaching the Gospel for
about fifty years, entered upon his heav-
emily rest. Another of he four is now on
the other side the earth, a missionary of
the Cross. Two of US are in this land in
the holy ministry, and / think all of US
are willing TO ackn owledge our obligation
to the old folks at home. Alb ,ut twenty
one years ago the one, and about twenty
three years ago the other, put )wn the
burdens Of this life, but they still ho.d
the rope.
0, men and women here assembled, you
brag sometimes how you have fought
your way in the world, but think there
have been helpful influences that you
have never fully acknowledged. Has
there not been some influence in your
early or present home that the world can
not see? Does there not reach to you
from among the New England hills, or
from Western prairie, or from Southern
plantation, or from English or Scottish or
Irish home, cord of influence that has
kept you right when you would have gone
astray, and which. after you had made
crooked track, recalled youa
The rope may be as long as thirty years,
or 800 miles long, or 5000 miles long, but
hands that went out of mortal sight long
ago still hold the rope. You want a very
swift horse, and you need to rowel him
with sharpest spurs, and to let the reins
lie loose upon the neck, and to give
shout to the racer, ifyou are going to ride
out of reach of your mothers prayers.
Why, a ship crossing the Atlantic in six
davs can't sail away from that. A sailor
finds them on the lookout as he takes his
place, and finds them on the mast as he
climbs the ratllnes to disentangle rope
in the tempest, and finds them swinging
on the hammock when he turns in. Why
not be frank and acknowledge ii? The
most of us would long ago have been
dashed to pieces had not gracious and
loving hands steadily and lovingly and
nightly held the rope.
But there must come time when we
shall find out who these Damascenes were
who lowered Paul in the basket, and
greet them AMI all those who have rem
dered to God and the world unrecognized
and unrecorded services. That is goin g
to be one of the glad excitements Of
Heaven, the hunting up and picking out
of those who did great good on earth and
got no credit for il. Here the Church has
been going on for nineteen centuries, AMI
yet the world has not recognized the serv-
ices of the people in that Damascus bal
cony. Charles D. Finney said to dying
Christian:
''Give my love to ST. Paul when you
meet him."
When you and meet him, as we will,
shall ask him to introduce me to those
people who got him out Of the Damascene
peril
Come, let US go right up and accost
those on the circle of Heavenly thrones.
Surely they must have killed in battle a
million men. Surely they must have
been buried with all the cathedrals sound
ing a dirge and all the towers of all the
cities tolling the national grief. Who
art thou, mighty one of Heavena
81 livet by choice the unmarried
daughter in an humble home that might
take care of my parents in their old age,
and / endure without complaints all
their querulousness, and administered
to all their wants for twenty years"
Let us pass on around the circle of
thrones. Who art thou, mighty one #
Heaven?
81 was for thirty years Christian iu-
valid, and suffered all the while, occa-
sonally writing note of sympathy for
those worse off than 1, and was general
| contidant of those who had trouble, and
| once in while [ was strong enough to
| max, garment fog that poor family in
the back lane"
| Pass on to another throne. Who art
| thou, mighty one o. Heaven2
81 was the mothsr who raised whole
| family of childrens for Go |, and they are
| out in the worlds Christian merchants,
Christian mechanics, Christian wives,
| and have had fuIs reward for my toll"
| Let us pass on irss the circle of thrones.
| II had Sabbath fY-school class, and they
were always on lay heart aud they all
entered the Kingdom of God, ard am
| waiting for their arrival"
"But who art thou. the mighty one OF
heaven On this other thronea
'sIn time of bitter persecu ton, owned
a house in Damascus, house ON the wall
A man who preached Christ was bounded
from street to street, and hid him frcm
| the assassins, ans. when / found them
breaking in my :house. and could nc
longer keep him safely, advised him tc
flee for his life, ssnd basket was lei
down over the wall with tho maltreated
man in it, and was one who helped hold
| the rope"
| And l said: 'Is that ala"
| And he answerad: THAT is allo
And while wsS lost in amazem ent.
heard a strong voice that sounded rs
though it might pnce have been hoarse
from many expose res, and triumphant, as
though it might gave belonged to one OF
| the martyrs, and 1aid:
Not many mighty, not many noble are called,
| but God hath chosen the weak things of the
world to confound lie things which are mighty
| and base things OF the world and things which
| are despised hath God chosen; yea, and thing.
which are not to bring to nau2ht things which
| are, that esh should glory IN his presence